LAWYERS OF CHD (ASSOCIATION OF PROGRESSIVE JURISTS) AND PEOPLE’S LAW BUREAU (HHB) ARE FREE!

Anadolu Newsblog

Exactly 14 months ago the Turkish state under the AKP government launched an attack against 22 progressive lawyers of CHD and HHB. 9 lawyers, among them the president of CHD Selcuk Kozagacli, were arrested, their other colleagues were charged out of prison.

The state doesn’t have anything against them, except of their professional work. This was proven at the first trial in December, where not the court judged the lawyers, but in contrary.

Like in roulette 4 lawyers were selected and set free during the first court session, while the other 5 remained in prison.

40 democratic lawyers from Europe and thousands of lawyers in Turkey supported their charged colleagues until the end. The matchless solidarity among professionals, but also the unbending and revolutionary attitude of the lawyers have apparently forced the state to release the lawyers as abrupt as they were arrested.

Yesterday evening, on the 21th march 2014 the lawyers of CHD/HHB Taylan Tanay, Selcuk Kozagacli, Ebru Timtik, Barkin Timtik and Günay Dağ were released as well.

Today Saturday (22nd March 2014) 11:00 Uhr (Turkish time) there was organized a press conference with participation of all charged lawyers at the Bar Association in Istanbul.

We want to translate and display the speech of Selcuk Kozagacli in front of the prison, directly after his release yesterday evening (s. video link)

Selcuk Kozagacli: “Thanks, thanks for all. In these 14 months we never felt alone, not even for a moment. We were so glad, that there were so many people, such a big support. We couldn’t imagine. What a big family we are, what a big solidarity.

We didn’t recognize the prison sentence at all. For us, this was neither imprisonment and nor did we demand our release. We didn’t recognize at all, that it was a court, that put us in jail. And we didn’t even accept that the decision was an imprisonment. We never asked for release.

As absurd the decision was, which they called imprisonment, as absurd was the decision they called release. There’s no seriosity at all.

It has nothing to do with justice, right or law to release a part of the prisoners, while there are still so many prisoners, so many victimized people, so many revolutionary and political prisoners inside.

Don’t think, that I say this to speak bad about those, who released us…

We don’t believe that we were charged and that we remained in prison.

We were kidnapped by our enemies and locked into this building (shows to the prison complex behind him) by armed force. And now we have found a way out – thanks to our friend, thanks to our comrades, thanks to all, who had supported us – we went in front of that door.

We’ll see, how it will develop. Nobody from us could be intimidated, we didn’t fear at all, we bounced back, weren’t sad at all. We’re fine. We will now continue from an even advanced point. Again, thanks a lot. We once again embrace all of you.”

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Jeremy Corbyn issues statement of support for the National Demo

Message from Jeremy Corbyn to Kurdish national demonstration London 6/3/16:
“I’m sorry not to be able to be with you today, but I send a message of solidarity with today’s demonstration, and with the Kurdish people, under sustained attack across the Middle East.
The conflict in Syria has been the trigger for an onslaught against the Kurdish people, who are defending their autonomy and their rights.
We are watching closely the alarming events that have been unfolding in Turkey in recent weeks, including the killing of civilians and destruction of Kurdish homes.
Any negotiated settlement of the Syrian conflict must include peace and justice for the Kurds, including in Turkey. And the Turkish government needs as a matter of urgency to restart the peace process with the Kurds and respect the rights of all its people.
We call for an end to repression of the Kurds and justice for the Kurdish people throughout the Middle East.”